Walking might feel like the easiest solution to shed those extra pounds, but does it really burn the belly fat like everyone hopes? According to Juan Antonio Martín, a personal trainer and expert in fat loss, the math behind walking and fat loss isn’t as simple as it seems. You’d have to walk nearly an entire day—about 25 to 28 hours—to burn just one pound of fat.
That means if you’re hoping to shrink your waistline by logging miles on foot, you may want to reconsider your strategy. Walking is great for health, but Martin warns it’s not the most efficient method if dropping fat quickly is your goal.
How many calories does walking really burn for fat loss?
Let’s break this down. To lose one pound of fat, your body needs a calorie deficit of roughly 7,000 calories. Juan Antonio Martín explains that walking burns between 250 and 300 calories per hour, depending on your weight, walking speed, and the terrain.
So, if you consistently walk at a steady pace, you’re burning calories, but nowhere near enough to lose significant fat fast. Doing the math: 7,000 calories divided by 275 calories (average burned per hour) equals about 25.5 hours of walking just to lose a single pound of fat.
If you think about it, that’s a lot of hours spent on foot. Walking can help increase your daily calorie burn and improve your cardiovascular health, but relying on walking alone for weight loss can be frustrating and slow.
More muscle, less fat: why strength training matters
One important takeaway from Martín’s advice is that cardio alone won’t turbocharge fat loss the way many believe. His experience as a fat-loss expert revealed a common misconception: “The more cardio I do, the more fat I’ll lose” is simply not true.
Here’s why. Doing excessive cardio without combining it with strength training can actually slow your metabolism over time. When you don’t maintain or build muscle, your body becomes less efficient at burning calories, even when resting.
Cardio burns calories while you’re active, but strength training transforms your metabolism by preserving and adding muscle mass. Muscle acts like a metabolic engine, burning more calories 24/7 — even when you’re binge-watching your favorite show or sleeping.
Martín stresses that the secret to an effective, sustainable fat-loss journey is the synergy between cardio, strength training, and an adjusted nutrition plan. Combining these methods helps you avoid the pitfalls of losing muscle mass while shedding fat.
Walking as a health boost not a magic fat burner
If you’re like me, you’ve probably rocked comfy shoes for a casual walk just to clear your head or squeeze a bit of activity into a busy day. I’ve learned that walking is a fantastic way to promote good health and add movement — but it’s no magic fat burner.
Walking is accessible, low-impact, and a gentle introduction to exercise regardless of where you’re starting from or your age. It can improve mood, digestion, and cardiovascular health, which are all huge wins. Plus, the little walks we take throughout daily life add up and contribute positively to overall wellbeing.
But, if your goal is to lose fat and get leaner, Martín’s advice to not just walk but challenge yourself with weight training and ramp up your metabolic burn is something I wish I’d known earlier. There’s no shortcut when it comes to fat loss—building muscle is key.
Before I totally relied on walking to trim down, I found myself stuck in a frustrating rut—watching the scale move ever so slowly. Once I incorporated strength workouts into my routine, everything changed: I felt stronger, more energetic, and my progress picked up pace.
Why not share your thoughts? Do you love walking for fitness, or have you found strength training to be a game changer? Join the conversation and let’s swap stories about what really works!
For more insights, check out Juan Antonio Martín’s interview with Revista Clara
I agree if you’re wanting to lose fat , avoid that stereotypical menopausal body shape hit the gym , women worry lifting heavy weights will give them big muscles , if only that was so easy! Each to their own though as in my experience of being a gym trainer only about 15-25 percent of people who join gyms actually stick with it, the majority last about 8 weeks because they don’t enjoy it , you have to find the certain exercise that makes you happy I went to the gym obsessively for 40 years and ran 40! miles a week ( which is counterproductive when building muscle but I loved both , I also power walked with dogs every day . I trained a split bodybuilding routine 6 times a week . I still had to live on egg whites and didn’t eat over 1,000 calories a day just to maintain a quite heavy weight, my calories in V out should have theoretically added up to me losing weight . I always remained 11 ston
I’m 5 foot 6, despite being hyperactive (Adult ADHD, all or nothing !) in the past 3 years I look like I’ve aged 20 years. I’m 60 and all of a sudden my skin went dry , has dramatically sagged like an 80 year old , covered in cellulite, paper thin skin cuts easily and I get covered in bruises. I have lymphadeama , sudden onset arthritis, chronic pain , emergency bowl surgery ( had no issues previously) my ankles and feet swell up my socks dig in, carpel tunnel in both wrists have had surgery on one , dry eyes mouth , my hair falls out by the handful. This is what I ended up like after 40 years of healthy eating , no alcohol and weight lifting. I’ve got reoccurring thumb tendinitis making it painful to lift a remote control never mind dumbbells. I have avoided any type of carbs for years as it’s not one size fits all for diet, insulin resistance plays a big factor , sugar is my enemy , I eat fat and protein not as far as a ketogenic lifestyle. It’s genetics, body type , hormones when it comes to diet and weight training . Menopausal women benefit from weight lifting as heavy as possible boosting oestrogen levels and testosterone . I now bweigh the least I have for years ( 10st 7 ) not doing anything except walking the dog . If it was so simple as calories in V calories out then everyone would be successful, I should have been 8 stone with counting calories, abs are made in the kitchen goes the saying . I discovered I could not digest carbs whdn I tried body building in my 20’s I’m no now eating bagels smothered in butter and that’s one good thing not having to obsessively count every calorie and not losing weight
my body just looks terrible gone are the days of getting compliments on my muscular body , I’m now self conscious won’t reveal my arms or legs . I’m still shocked at my very sudden aging and I don’t think I’ll be able to weight train again , the gym has been my whole life and now I don’t know what happened, literally woke up with arthritis, that was so sudden . It doesn’t make sense why I’m not aging at a steady rate and after 40 years I’ve got too many injuries, issues to go to the gym. I thought I’d still be lifting weights into my 70’s . My self esteem is low, I hardly leave the house, dread showers as I have to see my saggy body, I feel robbed of my old lifestyle, I wonder if overdoing it has caused all my sudden issues, how long is a footballer’s career or an athlete . If I could go back in time I would not have only done road running and lifting over heavy weights with ‘the lads’ The exercise and diet journey is different for everyone but you won’t build muscle unless you eat tons of protein. This is not a success story, it’s a personal tragedy for me although since stopping training I’m not in permanent pain I’m just lost . Could you explain why this has happened